Electric railway



Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

M. WHELESS. ELEGTRIG RAILWAY.

(No Model.)

@Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

MALONE VHELESS, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

ELECTRIC RAi LWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,164, dated February2, 1892.

Application led December l, 1891. Serial No. 413,722. (No model.)

To tZZ wife/0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALONE VHELESS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways;and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l represents the system diagraminatically. Fig. 2 is an end viewof the trolley, the axles being arched. Y

This invention relates to an improved systeni for electric railway,designed more espepecially for underground work.

In the annexed drawings, the letters A A indicate the two lines of railsof a railroadtrack. Running along between these rails is the bareworking conductor B, made in sections Z), insulated from one another atb. From the generator G an insulated main power-line C runs along thetrack and has the ground D. From each section Z) of the workingconductor B a feed-wire E runs to one end e of the armature e of anordinary telegraphic relay e2, such armature having a carbon contact e3at the other end. Adjacent to the contact is another carbon contact e4,from which another feed-wire E' runs to the insulated power-line C.Running parallel with the working conductor B--one ou each sidethereof-fare two bare wires F and G, made in insulated sections f and g,coincident. with sections l) of the working conductor B.

At a convenient point is located a storagebattery H, from which runs awire Il', one side to the section f of the wire F and on the other sidea wire H2 around the magnet c5 of the relay c2 and to the section g otwire G. All the batteries Il along the line of track are connected up tothe generator by a charging'- line C', in which is a switch c. On thetrack is the car I, hafvting the usual motor K, connected in the usualway.

Secured underneath the car I is the trolley L. This consists of the twotransverse axles M M', carrying the wheels Z Z' Z2 m m m2. These axlesare provided with insulators 7c Zt', so that each axle is divided intothree parts and each wheel on an axle is thus insulated from the others.As shown, the middle wheels may be larger than the others. The twomiddle wheels Z and m are electrically connected by the wire Z3 and thewheels Z and m and Z2 and m2 by the wires in m4, respectively. Frein thewire Zi3 a feed-wire Z4 runs to the motor K, and from the wheels Z andZ2 or the ends of the axle M wires Z5 m5 run to a switch N on the car.This trolley L, when in place, has its wheels Z and m on the bareworking conductor B, its wheels Z m on the wire F, and its wheels Z2 m2on the wire G.

In a system thus constructed the magnets c5 are vitalized when thetrolley enters a section by a current from the storage-battery H and themain current is taken from the main power-line C, as will be described.When the motor-circuit is closed in the usual way and the switch N alsoclosed, the action is as follows: The current from the battery H passesthrough the wire H2 and the magnet e5, thus vitalizing it, throughsection g ofthe wire G, wheel m2, wire m4, wheel Z2, wire m5, switch N,wire Z5, wheel Z, wire mi, wheel m, section f of the wire F, and wire Hto battery II. As soon as theinagnet e5 is vitalized the armature c isdrawn down and the powercurrent streams from the power-line C throughthe feeders E and E and the armature c' to the section b of the workingconductor, and thence through the wheel m' and wires ZS and Zl to themotor. The trolley is made with two sets of wheels, each on separateaxles, so as to span the insulation of the wires on which it bears. Thissystem produces a simple and efficient device. The circuit whichvitalizes the magnets is all metallic and requires only a current of lowpotential, as there is but slight escape. At any time the batteriesalong the line may be restored by turning the switch c and throwing thecurrent along the line C' and into these batteries.

Having described my invention, what I claim is A prime conductor orpower-line, a number of electric batteries, a working conductor, a

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positive Wire and a negative Wire in sections ley in eieetrieaiooutaetwith the Working eoninsulated'from one another, the sections ofduotoigrpositive and negative Wires, and also the positive and negativewires Connected to provided with a motor, and a switch-line conthebatteriesmne for eauch pail-of sect-ions, by neoted with such trolley,as set forth. Y

5 feeders, there being in one of the feeders from I In testimony whereofI affix my signature 1n I5 each battery an electro-magnet, and thesecpresence of two Witnesses. tionsof the Workingconduetorconneoted withi MALONE VVHELESS. the power-line by feeder-Wires, part of which'Vitnesses: are the armatures of the said electro-magnets, l THos. S.HOPKINS,

lo in combination with a ear provided with a trol- M. C. LAW.

